1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to both manually or rider propelled and motorized or self-propelled recreational vehicles for use primarily by children and other young at heart persons, and more particularly to recreational vehicles capable of performing a wheelie maneuver or stunt.
2. Preliminary Discussion
Balancing a vehicle momentarily on a single wheel with the other wheel or wheels held off of the ground, thus performing a so-called “wheelie,” is an old and well-known maneuver, or stunt, most often performed on a bicycle or motorcycle. To perform a wheelie on a bicycle, the rider pedals along at a comfortable pace, leans forward so that his or her body weight is removed from the seat and held more or less over the handlebars, and then pedals a half stroke while sitting down in essentially the same movement, without stopping pedaling. This causes the front wheel of the bicycle to lift off of the ground, with the rider balancing on the rear wheel. Performing such stunt on a bicycle requires practice and balance, and once mastered may be combined with hopping or other stunts. In addition to performance on bicycles and motorcycles, wheelies are also routinely performed on skateboards, wherein by shift of the rider's weight the front two wheels are lifted off of the ground and the rider is balanced on the two rear wheels. A skid plate on the bottom side of the rear of the skateboard is also usually provided, which may also be used as a braking means by skilled riders.
While it is possible for riders to learn to perform wheelie maneuvers on a motorcycle or bicycle, and while, as illustrated below, there are known a number of auxiliary support wheels for attachment to cycles or scooters to enable one to hold a basic wheelie position longer and more easily, there are few if any vehicles known that are designed principally to perform wheelies. In fact, most attention is paid to engineering a wheeled vehicle that is difficult to raise on to a single wheel, since in most cases the intended rider desires to maintain his or her balance on the vehicle rather than to perform wheelie maneuvers or stunts. For example, most such vehicles have a long wheel base, and the handle bars are located above the front wheel so that the majority of the riders weight is centered near the middle of the vehicle, increasing its overall stability.
3. Description of Related Art
The following prior art patents related to recreational or amusement-type vehicles incorporating concepts related to the present invention are known by the inventor. None of these references teaches a recreational or amusement vehicle assembly as conceived by the present inventor whereby a riding vehicle specifically designed to perform wheelie-type stunts or maneuvers is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,585,258 issued to A. Moore on May 18, 1926 entitled “Pole Monocycle” discloses a monocycle having a standing platform extending over both sides of a bicycle-type wheel and supported on a yoke. An upwardly extending pole having a handle bar on its upper end is mounted to the yoke, so that a rider may stand on the platform with the wheel positioned between his or her lower legs and with the handlebars directly in front of his or her body. The Moore monocycle is propelled by a ratchet wheel mechanism operated by rocking the handle back and forth. When the handlebar is rocked forwardly, the ratchet engages and turns the wheel forwardly and when the handle is rocked rearwardly the ratchet is not engaged. Simultaneously as the handlebar is rocked forwardly it is stated the footrest is raised slightly, and when the handle bar is rocked rearwardly, the footrest is lowered slightly which movement may be attractive to users. The device may also be propelled by the foot of the user on the ground, or simply by jumping forwardly on to the standing platform and the rider's momentum causing the wheel to roll. While the Moore reference broadly discloses a wheeled vehicle having a standing platform and an upwardly extending handle, such vehicle is not capable of performing a wheelie stunt as it only has one wheel.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,652,934 issued to P. E. Gillespie on Dec. 13, 1927, entitled “Toy,” discloses another single-wheeled vehicle having a yoke attached to the wheel axle. A single footrest or stirrup is attached on one side of the vehicle, while an upwardly extending handle is connected above the wheel to the yoke. The vehicle is manually propelled by placing one foot on the ground and pushing forwardly while the other foot is placed in the stirrup. Such vehicle also has a single wheel and therefore is incapable of performing a “wheelie.”
U.S. Pat. No. 1,697,994 issued to J. C. Moore, Jr. on Jan. 8, 1929, entitled “Coaster,” discloses a vehicle having a pair of axially aligned wheels and having a foot pedal similar to a conventional bicycle pedal positioned between the wheels, as well as an upwardly extending handle. The coaster is propelled with one foot on the pedal and the other foot pushing generally forwardly against the ground. While the use of two wheels on opposite sides of the pedal makes the Moore coaster more stable and laterally balanced, and the balancing effort of the rider is thus forward and rearwardly aided by free rotation of the single step pedal, the device is not designed to perform a wheelie as the wheels are in parallel.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,971,773 issued to C. C. McKissick on Feb. 14, 1961, entitled “Pogo Monocycles,” discloses another single wheeled vehicle having pedals or footrests on either side of such wheel, as well as an upwardly extending height adjustable handlebar. McKissick also discloses a rearwardly extending braking mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,798 issued to S. Siegel on May 19, 1970, entitled “Skate Board Device,” discloses an amusement device comprised of a wing-shaped standing platform having a central hole in which a proportionately large spherical member is mounted on an axle, while four smaller stabilizing wheels or balls are provided spaced on the underside of the device, which wheels are elevated from the ground slightly. In use, when a certain speed or balance is attained, a user standing or balanced on the platform will be propelled forward with only the large sphere, or ball, touching the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,535 issued to D. M. Sidlauskas on May 22, 1973, entitled “Tricycle Having Driving Energy Storing Arrangement,” discloses a tricycle designed to perform a wheelie having a pair of large rear wheels and a smaller steerable front wheel. Coil springs connected to the rear wheel axle are wound on the axle and store up driving energy as the bike is pedaled and moves forward. Pulling back on the handle bars releases the springs, causing a forward energy to be transmitted to the rear wheels. The springs are used to help propel the vehicle forwardly fast enough so that the front wheel is easily lifted off the ground to perform a wheelie stunt. Also provided along the rear side of the seat is a leaf spring having a small wheel on the end of the spring that contacts the ground surface when the wheelie is performed. Sidlauskas discloses a manually powered tricycle specifically designed to do wheelies. However, the tricycle has a completely different structure from the present inventor's vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,817 issued to D. R. Cohen on Jun. 20, 1978, entitled “Wheelie Skateboard,” discloses a skateboard having a regular set of wheels and in addition having a third set of wheels on the upwardly angled rear or tail section so that the board may be flipped into a wheelie maneuver and balanced on the rear wheels and third set of wheels. Cohen therefore teaches a device that enables one to maintain a wheelie position more easily, but in the process actually prevents a real or traditional wheelie from being performed, because the skateboard is still balanced on two pairs of axially aligned wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,786 issued to E. R. Talbott on Aug. 15, 1978, entitled “Recreational Vehicle For Use On Sloping Terrains,” discloses a circular platform having a large single central wheel and a handle at the front. A rider shifts their weight in riding the device including scraping rear runners on the ground as a braking means, but does not perform wheelies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,390 issued to A. M. Skolnik on Jul. 2, 1985, entitled “Toy Vehicle,” discloses a three-wheeled vehicle having a triangular wheelbase and pyramid-shaped frame formed of tubular members and having a steering fork with handle bars connected to the front wheel. A standing platform is provided between the spaced apart rear wheels. Such vehicle is arranged so that the handlebar is generally close to the axis of the rear wheels, making it easier for a rider to tilt the vehicle rearwardly on to the rear wheels and then balance in such position, thereby performing a wheelie maneuver. Structurally, the Skolnik scooter is different from the present inventor's vehicle in several respects, such as that the wheels are not all mounted to the same platform.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,884 issued to S. T. Chang on Nov. 24, 1987, entitled “Foldable Handle for a Skateboard,” discloses a skateboard having an upwardly extending foldable handle, making it more similar to a scooter and making it easier to maintain one's balance when riding the skateboard. Of course, skateboards are typically used to perform wheelies wherein the two front wheels are raised off the ground. However, the arrangement other for the use of a handle is not dissimilar to the usual skateboard arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,181 issued to R. B. Armstrong on Jan. 3, 1989, entitled “Skateboard,” discloses a modified skateboard having a V-shaped board, a large centrally-located wheel, and pairs of front and rear wheels. The skateboard is arranged so that the central wheel is in contact with the ground when either the front or rear wheels are in contact with the ground, but when the front wheels are in contact with the ground, the rear wheels are off the ground. It is also possible for the center wheel to be the only wheel touching the ground. A brake assembly is also optionally connected to the center wheel. The Armstrong skateboard is therefore technically capable of riding on a single wheel wherein the front and rear wheels are lifted off of the ground at the same time. However, such position would not be considered a conventional wheelie position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,091 issued to W. J. Badsey on Jun. 27, 1989, entitled “Two-Wheeled Recreational Motor Vehicle,” discloses a two-wheeled self-propelled vehicle having a handle bar with brakes and a platform on which the user stands when operating the vehicle. The wheels are wide so that the device is generally stable enough for a rider to stand on the platform without tipping when the vehicle is not in use. In addition, the balance of the vehicle is also such that a rider standing on the platform may shift his or her weight back to rear lip to perform wheelies.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,436 issued to M. J. Jez et al. on Oct. 13, 1992, entitled “Wheeled Riding Apparatus,” discloses a hybrid scooter/skateboard apparatus having an upwardly extending handle, a flexible board supported by a leaf spring, and an upwardly curved rear tail section of the type found on most skateboards and usually intended to provide an area for the user to press downwardly on with his or her foot to perform a wheelie. The Jez et al. vehicle is apparently meant to be operated with all four wheels on the ground, however.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,871 issued to D. Wyman et al. on Jun. 16, 1998, entitled “Children's Riding Toys,” discloses a Big Wheel® type tricycle having a fourth wheel connected centrally behind the standard rear wheel axle of the tricycle. The fourth wheel is provided and angled so that when the rider tips the front wheel upwardly, a wheelie maneuver is performed balancing on the rear wheels and the auxiliary fourth wheel. Wyman et al. is another example of an invention meant to make performing a wheelie type stunt easier, although by doing so eliminates the skill required to maintain one's balance in a wheelie position, not to mention the fun and satisfaction resulting from performing and maintaining a wheelie without such fourth auxiliary wheel attachment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,612 issued to J. G. Beleski, Jr. on Apr. 24, 2001, entitled “Cambering Vehicle and Mechanism,” discloses a manually propelled vehicle having a front wheel connected to a foldable handlebar, as well as to a pair of rearwardly extending arms having similarly sized wheels on their ends comprising the rear wheels of the three-wheeled vehicle. Footrest platforms are provided directly above each of the rear wheels. The Beleski vehicle is a “cambering” type vehicle wherein generally forward movement of the vehicle is provided by shifting of one's weight from side to side on the vehicle so that the vehicle travels in a sinusoidal path. Beleski does not indicate that the vehicle is properly balanced to perform wheelie maneuvers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,828 issued to L. Mandic on Apr. 9, 2002, entitled “Recreational Board Vehicle,” discloses another skateboard or scooter type vehicle having an upwarding extending handlebar. A brake assembly is also provided, as is a wheelie assembly on the rear end of the board so that rather than skidding on the bottom of the board as with a regular skateboard, the board may be balanced on the rear wheels and the wheelie wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,562 issued to H. S. Kuo on May 14, 2002, entitled “Scooter Having Changeable Steering Mechanism,” discloses a scooter having a single steerable front wheel connected to an adjustable handle, a front board, a pair of centrally located wheels, a rear board, and a single smaller rear wheel. The scooter platform is comprised of the front board extending between the front and center wheels, and the rear board extending between the center and rear wheels. The front and rear boards are slightly angled with respect to each other so that when the front and center wheels are touching the ground, the slightly smaller rear wheel is off the ground. This in effect allows the user to perform wheelie maneuvers, although strictly speaking not in the same manner as the traditional wheelie which performs a wheelie by temporary rearward balancing on rear wheels not designed for such maneuvers.
U.S. PAT. APP. PUB. NO. 2002/0030339 filed by R. H. Powers and published on Mar. 14, 2002, entitled “Scooter,” discloses a two-wheeled scooter having a steerable front wheel, a handle bar, and a standing platform situated between the front and rear wheel assemblies. A brake pedal is provided on the rear of the platform to enable the user to better control the speed of the scooter, as well as to perform wheelie maneuvers.
U.S. PAT. APP. PUB. NO. 2002/0096849 filed by R. M. Bang and published on Jul. 25, 2002, entitled “Trick Bar For Foot Scooter,” discloses a wheeled platform for connecting behind the rear wheel of a conventional two-wheeled scooter. The platform includes a foot bar and a pair of wheels and basically is designed to enable the user to perform wheelie-type movements on the scooter.
U.S. DES. Pat. D326,290 issued to W. J. Badsey on May 19, 1992, entitled “Motorized Scooter,” discloses an ornamental design for a scooter the same or closely similar to the scooter discussed above with reference to Badsey's '091 utility patent.
U.S. DES. Pat. D444,184 issued to H. Kettler on Jun. 26, 2001, entitled “Scooter,” discloses an ornamental design for a scooter having a steerable large front wheel and handlebars, and a platform with two small wheels extending rearwardly from the large front wheel on which the user stands.
While the prior art, therefore, has provided a large number of platform type wheeled vehicles or other wheeled vehicles of relatively small dimensions for various purposes, none has provided a short wheelbase platform-type vehicle having a single rear wheel or an effectively single rear wheeled vehicle having a handle for control of the vehicle both while riding and when dismounted or dismounting. By “effectively single wheeled” it is meant that there is only a single wheeled at the rear upon which wheelies are performed or alternatively there is a pair of ganged wheels mounted close together to in effect act as or in the place of a single rear wheel of a large diameter or more weight capacity. For example, a pair of ganged wheels may be mounted upon a short axle between axle mountings or mounted upon short separate axles mounted upon a single support similar to the ganged wheels customarily used by relatively large aircraft.